Elijah bruce atkinson



(No Model.)

B. B. ATKINSON.

FLOOD FENCE. No. 392,709. Patented Nov. 13, 1888.

UNITED STATES PATENT trier).

YELTJAH BRUCE AIKINSON, OF AUSTTN, BUSSOURL FLOOD FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 392,709, dated November 13, 1883 Application filed March 13, 1888. Serial No. 267,081. (We model.)

"To all 107 0112 it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ELIJ'AH Barron ATKIN- soN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Austin, in the county of (lass and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Flood-Fences or VVatenGatcs, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in flood-fences or wat'crgates; and it consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter described. illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a floodgate embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of one of the posts, showing the construction thereof.

Referring to the drawings by letter, A designates a mud-sill crossing the bed of a stream, and 13 B represent posts rising therefrom at proper points near its ends. Each post is surrounded by a sleeve, C, to which the rails D D are attached, and which has secured to its lower end a block, E, of wood or other light material capable of floating, which, when the water of the stream is down,rcsts on the mudsill. The said blocks must be of sufficient size to float up and raise the panel of which the gate consists when the water in the stream rises without sinking too far into the water. While the blocks may be of any desired shape, they are preferably square or rectangular, and

they are situated near the shores or edges of the stream, out of the current, and consequently cannot be affected by the latter.

The gate may have any desired number of rails; but the more rails there are added the larger the blocks E must be made to give the panel the necessary flotation.

Thegate is strong,simple,and durable of construction, and, while effective, cannot readily get out of order. If desired,the posts may be set directly in the ground, the mud-sill being omitted. The mud-sill, however, preferably forms a part of the invention, as it binds the posts together and gives solidity and stiffness to the gate.

Having described my invention, I claim- In a flood-fence, the combination, with the transverse mud-sill A and the posts 13, rising vertically therefrom on each side of the stream, of the flat horizontal floats E, resting normally on the mud-sill, the sleeves C, rising from the floats and loosely surrounding said posts, and the rails D, connecting the sleeves, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ELIJAH BRUCE ATKINSON. IVitnesses:

JOHN 1. HACHENBERG, D. A. WooDAnn. 

